In a decision feared by TNA fans for the past couple of months due to the lack of guarantee on a contract renewal, reports from TMZ state that SpikeTV has decided to not renew the flagship program of TNA. According to F4WOnline.com, Dixie Carter was telling employees that the decision was on TNA’s side and not SpikeTV.
There is also speculation that the outing of Vince Russo as a member of TNA upset SpikeTV, who once told TNA he couldn’t be involved in the company in any way. It’s incredible that SpikeTV, the company that had a problem with Christopher Daniels wearing Marvel t-shirts, would actually have better insight on how to run a wrestling company than TNA and enforce a rule of having no Vince Russo. It’s even worse that TNA went ahead and tried to slip him under their noses.
I could write 10,000 words on why I’m sickened to hear that Vince Russo might have a part in this. Russo was secretly working for TNA and exposed by Mike Johnson of PWInsider in a situation where too many discussed whether it was fair to reveal it or not instead of the fact that Russo had to secretly work for TNA. It’s quite clear now that the reason was because SpikeTV couldn’t stand him and wanted no part in a Vince Russo production. For all of the pyro and ballyhoo, it’s clear Russo doesn’t recognize when it’s time to leave. I’m sure we will hear excuses and say how it’s them who wanted him and he has to make a living (since it’s clear his poor imitation of the Heyman Hustle is desperate and shoddy) and then spout some Biblical lines about forgiveness but it’s pretty clear Jim Cornette had the right intention to stay bitter and cynical. A lot of people might end up unemployed because Vince Russo couldn’t stay home. If Meltzer’s belief that Russo was a major factor isn’t true, I apologize. Otherwise? For shame.
For many, this spells the beginning of the end of TNA. It makes sense with all of the cutbacks to talent and the loss of weekly television programming. This is a painful reminder to 2001 when WCW was declining and ECW was losing their television. But there are some very important differences to then and now.
For one, television is on a downward spiral. While pro wrestling fans scoff at Impact’s ratings of a consistent one million viewers, the truth is that it was one of the highest rated shows on Spike TV, especially in the 18-49 male demographic. Specialty stations are starting to die out and are desperate for weekly programming they can rely on. But of course, that’s a double edged sword. Television might be desperate for programming like Impact but that doesn’t mean it’s willing to pay what SpikeTV paid. We already saw the WWE try to go all in on selling their programming to a company and ended up with a less than desirable deal going back to NBC Universal. TNA is in a much more difficult position.
The biggest difference is that back in 2001 when WCW went under and the WWF couldn’t find a company to give WCW a timeslot when they purchased the company, the idea of streaming shows was not an option. Aside from the Internet radio shows from WCW back in the late 90s, nobody was doing pro wrestling over the Internet. Today it’s possible to stream HD programming online easily. With companies like Hulu and Netflix searching for new programming, there’s a brand new avenue for TNA to look into. Imagine paying your $9.99 for Netflix and every Thursday there’s a new episode of Impact, along with their entire Impact Wrestling catalogue to watch from your fingertips. It’s a slim possibility, but one that never existed back when we were in this position before.
Personally, I’d rather see TNA exist than TNA not exist. Even if it means Vince Russo on payroll. I want to see wrestlers and staff get paid and for as many outlets to watch pro wrestling as possible. It’s not about competition but alternatives. If the only way to make any money in North America is through Vince McMahon, that’s going to force wrestlers to make compromises on their happiness and potential. It isn’t the dream of everyone to be a WWE superstar, and more importantly, it isn’t the dream of everyone to have Vince McMahon decide their career. Just ask CM Punk.
The scary thing is this all feels familiar, as JetsLag puts eloquently on Reddit:
So we’re back in 2002, where WWE is the only company with a national TV deal, and Jeff Jarrett’s making a wrestling promotion.
Here’s hoping TNA finds a new television distributor. I’d hate to see Vince Russo be the death of another wrestling promotion.
Photo via Rope Opera: How WCW Killed Vince Russo by Vince Russo
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